A 77-year old cash-strapped Greek pensioner shot and killed himself in front of the Athens parliament Wednesday, saying he refused to forage through rubbish for food. The tragedy prompted a tense protest in Syntagma square.
Greek supporters and members of the socialist Pasok party were set to ratify the election of Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos (pictured) as new party leader on Sunday, ahead of a general election expected late April or early May.
Political parties in Belgium on Wednesday completed negotiations to form a coalition government led by Socialist Elio Di Rupo. Belgium has not had a government for 535 days.
The 35-hour work week, the emblematic reform of the last socialist government, is once again under attack. Not from the conservative camp as usual but from a socialist Manuel Valls. The conservative camp is relishing this public spat but not all its leaders are in favor of scrapping outright the 35 week.
Greece’s ruling Socialists emerged victorious on Monday in several local elections, including winning the mayoral race in Athens, providing Prime Minister George Papandreou (pictured) with a much-needed boost amid persistent economic woes.
Marc Perelman interviews Alain Lipietz, a green party member; José-Manuel Lamarque, co-producer of Transeuropéenne on France inter radio; Bruno Jeanbart, director of polling with opinion way; and Benjamin Lancar, president of the UMP Youth.
Marc Perelman focuses on two topics: French Socialist Party which is finally regaining its footing after months of turmoil. And French postal service, as 2 million French expressed their opposition to its privatization in a vote held last weekend.
Greek Socialist leader George Papandreou on Sunday pledged to "turn a page" on the economic malaise of the previous administration after his victory in snap elections that ousted the scandal-ridden conservative government.
Socialist leader George Papandreou formally declared victory in Sunday's snap election after his socialist Pasok party won over 43 percent of the vote according to results from nearly two thirds of polling stations.
Opinion polls show the socialist opposition in the lead as Greeks vote Sunday in a snap election called by PM Costas Karamanlis (photo) following a tough year for a country battered by the economic crisis, riots and corruption scandals.
